


Stargazing

by LadyGrayse



Category: British Actor RPF, Richard Armitage fandom
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-10
Updated: 2016-09-02
Packaged: 2018-05-25 22:23:25
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,872
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6212455
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyGrayse/pseuds/LadyGrayse
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He likes her but isn't sure how she feels.<br/>She likes him, but doesn't know how he feels.<br/>What happens when they go away for a weekend?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Going Away

**Author's Note:**

> Yeah, yeah, more fluffy romantic drabble.  
> Sorry, Richard, couldn't help it.

_ **STARGAZING** _

 

 

“Okay, that’s a wrap for today!” The director called out. “And we have a three day weekend, too, so see you folks Tuesday!”

 

“Oh, I’d forgotten all about that!” Grace rubbed her hands with delight.

 

Tom chuckled at her. “How can anyone forget they have three whole days of freedom away from the set? As for me, I’m going to spend mine in a recording studio here, doing a bit of voice-over work.”

 

Tom turned to his co-star. “What about you, Rich? What are you planning to do with three days off?”

 

Richard, in the process of shedding part of his costume, mumbled out, “....nothing planned. Probably just going to stay in, study my script, and sleep.”

 

“You work too much!” Tom good-naturedly ribbed him. “You should get out and do something.”

 

Grace, their shared personal assistant on this particular film, looked from one to the other. “Well, you gentlemen can do what you wish. As for me, I know exactly how I’m going to spend mine!”

 

“Oh?” Tom chuckled. “Care to enlighten us, in case we need you?”

 

“Sure. There’s a meteor shower that peaks this weekend and I plan to spend my nights watching for shooting stars, away from here.” Grace smiled sweetly at Tom. “And where I’m planning to go I don’t get much of a cell signal, which means you won’t be able to call me every five minutes with something.”

 

“Watching for meteors, huh?” Tom frowned down at her. “But...but what if I need your opinion on something or need you to fetch food for me?” he asked, teasing her.

 

“Humph!” she snorted at him. “You’re grown, I’m sure you can fend for yourself for a few days.”

 

He broke out laughing. “That I can! Enjoy yourself, Grace. Richard, enjoy yourself, too, all alone in your flat with your script.”

 

Grace, in the meantime, had pulled out her cell and dialed a number. After only a couple of rings, the other party answered.

 

“Helen? Hi, it’s Grace!” she partially turned away from Tom and Richard, grabbing her pen and paper to make notes. “I’m fine. How are you and Oscar?.....That’s good. Listen, I have a favor to ask. I have three days off and I was wondering – do you have any cabins available? You do? Oh, good. Is the one up in the meadow open? It is? That’d be great. No, no, I’ll bring my own food. If you’ll just make sure the water is turned on and leave the key where I can find it, I’ll be fine. Thanks, Helen! You and Oscar enjoy your trip!”

 

She looked up at the two men. “Well, that’s settled then! Off to stargaze and enjoy peace & quiet.”

 

“Sounds better than what I have planned.” Richard didn’t realize he’d said that out loud until Grace turned to him and asked, “Does it? Want to come with me?” with a hopeful tone in her voice.

 

“Um...um....” he stuttered, not quite sure how to answer her.

 

Truth be told, she might be only his assistant, but he’d developed a bit of a crush on her and didn’t know how to tell her, being a bit bashful and not at all sure how she felt about him. Sure, she was always sweet and pleasant, bringing him coffee or tea in the mornings and always seeming to know what he needed before he did, but, well, that was her job, wasn’t it?

 

“Please come! It’ll be fun. And the cabin is plenty big for the two of us.” She told him, almost pleading. “We can sit out under the sky at night and count shooting stars. You can sleep during the day and not be bothered by anyone or anything. What do you say?”

 

“Well, if you’re sure you want company...” he hedged, not quite believing that she was really inviting him to go away with her.

 

“Sure! So go home, grab your jeans and sweats or whatever you want to wear, and I’ll swing by and pick you up in an hour or so. We’ll need to stop at the market for food, but we can be at the cabin by dark.” She seemed really happy that he said he’d go.

 

\-------------------

 

True to her word, an hour later she knocked on the door to his flat.

 

“Ready to go?” she asked, as he stood back to let her in.

 

“Yes, I think so. I packed both jeans and sweats, as you suggested. Just let me grab my jacket and I’ll be ready to go.”

 

They stopped at the market, picking up breads, cheese, fruits, vegetables, and a couple bottles of wine.

 

As they placed the bags in the trunk of the car, he spotted a fishing rod among her things.

 

“There’s a stream that runs through the property.” She explained. “And I know there are fish in it. I plan to catch a couple of them for our dinner tomorrow night.”

 

As she drove them out of the city, she explained that the place they would be staying was owned by friends of her’s. She’d met Helen and her husband Oscar by chance after they’d stopped to help her change a flat tire one summer afternoon. She had been out rambling around the countryside when her tire blew.

 

“Oscar inherited the property from his grandparents. It’s a few hundred acres up in the mountains, where they live. They’ve built cabins around and about and rent them out. The one we’ll be staying in is the uppermost. It’s located in the middle of a meadow and the mountain peak behind will help block out a lot of the city lights. It’s supposed to be clear at night, perfect for watching the meteor shower.”

 

Stopping only once more – for dinner at a cafe in a small town about halfway to the cabin – they finally arrived at the farm. Punching in a code on the lonesome-looking keypad, the gate swung open and they pulled through. By now, it was dusky dark and Grace drove carefully along the gravel drive through the middle of the farm. They passed a barn and a white, wood-frame farmhouse (which Grace explained was home to Helen and Oscar) before the drive began winding up a hillside. As it reached the top, it began to level out into the meadow. In the fading light, Richard could see their destination up ahead.

 

The cabin, just as Grace had described, was in the middle of the meadow, a wide porch across the front with welcoming rocking chairs and a barrel for a table between. The porch light was on and the drive allowed them to park right in front.

 

There were a pair of wooden lounge chairs off to one side with a stream further on. Small, neat flower beds surrounded the house, snugging all the way up to the edge of the porch, just two steps up from the ground.

 

As Grace put the car in park and turned to gather her purse and jacket, Richard jumped out and quickly came around to open her door.

 

“Why, thank you Richard!” Grace smiled up at him.

 

“You’re welcome.” he replied, smiling back at her.

 

Getting out, she made her way up the walkway, Richard following behind. Looking in the postbox hanging by the door, Grace fished out the key and opened the front door. Reaching inside, her hand found the switch and turned on the indoor lights.

 

“Ahh...” Grace sighed, “Helen turned on the heat for us, too. I’m so glad – last time I was here, it hadn’t been and it took a while for this place to warm up.”

 

The front door opened up into a simply, but comfortably furnished great room. On the right was a sitting area, while to the left was a dining area with the kitchen on the far end. Straight ahead was a hallway.

 

“There are two bedrooms down the hallway, each with its own bathroom. Take whichever one suits your fancy, Richard.” Grace dropped her purse and jacket on the dining table. “I’m going to get the groceries out of the car and put away.”

 

By the time she and Richard had unloaded the car, fog had started rolling in across the meadow.

 

“I’m sorry.” said Richard, “but it doesn’t look like we’ll do any stargazing tonight.”

 

“Oh, it’s okay.” Grace replied, pouring another glass of wine. “We’ve both had a long day today. Think I’d just as soon go to sleep early. Besides, we still have two nights to stargaze and the shower doesn’t peak until Sunday night.”

 

They sat in companionable silence in the rockers on the porch, watching the fog get denser. Off in the distance they could hear cows quietly lowing and the occasional dog bark. Other than that, it was (as Grace said earlier) peaceful.

 

After a while, Grace chuckled softly after catching Richard trying to stifle a yawn. “Here, hand me your wine glass.” Grace held out her hand. “Go to bed, Richard. I’ll rinse these out in the sink and then I’m also turning in for the night.”

 

Richard stood and stretched. As he entered the front door, he stopped and turned back to her. “Good night, Grace. And thanks for inviting me.”

 

Glad for once that the porch light didn’t throw off much light and he couldn’t see her blush, Grace replied, “Good night, Richard. You’re welcome. Sleep well. Oh, and don’t bother setting an alarm unless you just want to get up early. You can sleep as late as you want, I meant that. I won’t bother you, I promise.”

 

As she turned back to pick up her glass and the now-empty wine bottle, Richard made his way to his room.

 

Grace went over to the sink and rinsed out their glasses and the bottle. Thinking she might find a few late Autumn flowers tomorrow, she left the bottle on the counter to serve as a vase.

 

After checking the door was locked, she made her way to her own room.

 

Richard lay in his bed with his eyes closed, listening to her moving quietly around the cabin. He still wasn’t sure how she felt about him. So far, all their interactions had been friendly, but only that, and he wanted more. He just wasn’t sure if she felt the same and he was afraid to push things, afraid he’d push her away. Maybe she just did want him for a friend and nothing more.

 

With those thoughts roiling through his mind, he fell asleep. And missed seeing Grace pad quietly across the hall to stand in his open doorway. She watched him sleep for some few minutes, then smiled quietly to herself, and retreated to her own room.

 

As she lay in her bed, she could scarcely contain her delight. HE had agreed to come with her! She didn’t think he would, but when he said he’d come, she was ecstatic. Sure, Tom was cute and flirted shamelessly with her, but she felt an attraction to Richard she hadn’t felt towards anyone in a long time. She just wasn’t sure how he felt about her.

 

 

He woke late the next morning to a quiet cabin, the sunlight streaming through the curtains.

 

“Grace?” he called, coming out of his room, having pulled on sweats first. He was a little disappointed when she didn’t answer. She wasn’t in the great-room and the door to her own room was open. He didn’t hear running water either, which meant she wasn’t in the shower.

 

Finally deciding she wasn’t in the cabin, Richard padded over to the kitchen. Glancing up, he was surprised to find it was almost 10:30 according to the clock over the sink. He was pouring himself a cup of coffee when movement outside the window caught his eye.

 

It was Grace, wearing a pair of waders and carefully navigating the rocks in the creek. A fishing creel hung at her waist and she carried a bamboo flyrod. A few seconds more and she was laying out line across the surface of the stream.

 

Richard watched her through the kitchen window, admiring how graceful the flyline played out through her hands. He stood by the window, drinking his coffee and watching her, until he had finished the cup and Grace was reeling in her first fish. Deciding he didn’t wish to disturb her, he turned from the window and spotted a basket of muffins on the counter. They hadn’t been there the night before and he didn’t seem to recall purchasing any at the market on their stop yesterday either. The only explanation he could come up with was that Grace must’ve made them when she got up.

 

Picking one up and taking a bite, he was pleasantly surprised to find it was Lemon Blueberry - his favorite! Taking his muffin and another cup of coffee, he retreated to his room.

 

A little while later, he heard the front door open and close again. Then he heard quiet noise in the kitchen, followed by the sound of running water.

 

Dressed now in his favorite black and white sweats and sock-footed, Richard padded out in time to see her put a baking dish with water and fish in the refrigerator.

 

“Good morning, Grace.” he greeted her warmly.

 

Turning around from where she’d been putting up the fish, she smiled warmly at him. “Good morning, Richard. Sleep well?”

 

“Yes, I did.” he replied, “Very well - didn’t hear you get up.”

 

“Well, I didn’t want to wake you, so I tried to be as quiet as I could.” she replied sheepishly. “I caught two fish - one for each of us, but they’re good eating size. Got em cleaned and dressed, but now I have to shower - can’t stand having fish scales all over.”

 

“Ah, I see!” he nodded at her, grinning as he picked a scale out of her hair. “By the way, the lemon muffins are delicious.”

 

“Thanks!” she grinned back. “Glad you like them. Thought they’d be good to have for breakfast.”

 

Drying her hands on paper towels, she looked up at him. “Well, I’m off shower now. Why don’t you figure out what you’d like to do this afternoon while I’m bathing? We have the run of the place.”

 

With that, she was gone out of the kitchen.

 

He heard the sound of running water again, this time from her shower. It sounded like she’d left the door open - was this an invitation to join her? But then he heard the door close and decided it wasn’t.

 

Thinking he’d check his email, he pulled his phone out. Turns out Grace was right - no cell signal, so no checking email or anything. Heaving a sigh, he picked up his shoes and walked out onto the porch, taking a seat in one of the rockers. Sunny skies and a pleasantly cool Autumn day greeted him.

 

 

 


	2. Conclusion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just what it says. The conclusion...

He was still in the rocking chair when Grace came out onto the porch. Dressed casually in jeans and a sweater, she sat in the other rocker and slid her shoes on.

 

“Well, Richard, have you given any thought about what you’d like to do this afternoon?” she smiled up at him while tying her sneakers.

“Umm, no, not really.” he replied sheepishly. “Just been sitting here, enjoying the view.”

 

She laughed at his reply. “If you’d like, we _could_ ride into town and grab a bite of lunch at one of the diners. There are several artist’s shops and galleries along the main street and it’s very pedestrian-friendly.”

 

“That sounds good.” He started to stand up from his chair. “Just let me go change...”

 

“Oh, you don’t have to do that.” she interrupted him. “The way you’re dressed is perfectly fine. Just put your shoes on and grab your jacket.”

 

“Are you sure?” he hesitated.

 

“Yes, very. No one will realize who you are, dressed in your sweats, especially if you wear your shades. You’ll be just another out-of-towner, here for the weekend, enjoying the Fall weather.”

 

“Well, okay, then.” He sat back down and quickly tied his shoes.

 

Shortly they were both ready to leave.

 

Pulling the cabin door closed and locking it, Grace came down the steps. “Do you want to drive or shall I?” she asked, holding up her car keys.

 

“How about I drive today? You did all the driving to here yesterday, so it’s only fair that I do it today.” Richard held out his hand for the keys. “You can navigate since I don’t have a clue where we’re headed.”

 

“Sure!” she replied, tossing him the keys and going to the passenger side. “This will be a treat - I almost always have to drive.”

 

Twenty minutes later, having successfully navigated the winding mountain road down from the farm, they arrived in the small town.

 

The small cafe where they elected to eat lunch had a shady back patio with a few tables, so that’s where they sat. Richard sat with his back to the rest of the patio so nobody would recognize him. However, save for their server, he and Grace had the patio to themselves. They had a leisurely lunch of burgers and fries, talking between bites of careers and childhoods.

 

Leaving the cafe, they strolled up the sidewalk of the main street, stopping in first one, then another of the shops and galleries. Sometime during their afternoon stroll, Richard realized that Grace had linked her arm in his. He smiled quietly at his discovery but said nothing, afraid she might remove her arm.

 

The last stop on their stroll about town was the little local farmer’s market. Grace purchased the final ingredients for a salad to accompany the fish for dinner as well as fresh morels to add to the risotto she was planning to make. A few apples completed their purchases.

 

 

 

 

It was only a little after mid-afternoon when they returned to the cabin. Tired from all the walking, they both agreed a nap would be good.

 

Grace excused herself, going into her bathroom to freshen up. When she came out a few minutes later, she found Richard hard and fast asleep on the sofa, his shoes placed neatly on the floor at one end. Smiling gently, she pulled the throw from the back of the chair and draped it carefully over his sleeping form. Then she went, pulled off her own shoes, set her alarm, and stretched out on her bed alone.

 

An hour and a half later, it was Grace’s turn to awaken to an empty cabin. Richard wasn’t on the sofa nor was he in his room. Peeking outside, she noticed the car still there where they had parked, so he was on foot. Figuring he’d be back before long, Grace went into the kitchen to begin dinner.

 

After she got the risotto started, she decided the make an apple crisp from the apples they’d purchased earlier at the farmers market. Turning to the apples, she began peeling them. Then she buttered a baking dish and tossed the apples with cinnamon sugar while she waited for the oven to heat.

 

She was just closing the oven door on the apples when Richard came back in, a small nosegay of wildflowers in one hand.

 

“Something smells good!” Richard said, coming over to the kitchen.

 

“Thank you. I hope you like apples - I’ve got an apple crisp in the oven for dessert.” Grace said, eyeing the flowers he carried.

 

“Yes, actually, I do.” Seeing her expression, he reached for the empty wine bottle and filled it with water from the tap. Walking over to the table, he put the wine bottle in the middle of the table and placed the flowers in it.

 

Then, without her asking, he set the rest of the table. By the time he finished, she had placed each fish on a sheet of foil, added lemon slices, and was securing the foil packets to place in the oven.

 

“What next?” he asked, walking back into the kitchen.

 

“Well, the fish won’t take but just a few minutes to bake. The risotto still has a bit to go, though.” Grace replied, setting the timer on the oven. “Think I’ll go outside and get everything ready for tonight.”

 

“Can I help?” Richard asked.

 

“Sure!” she replied, “Come on. By the time we get set up outside, it should be time for the fish to go in the oven.”

 

Outside, she had Richard pile wood into the pit to help keep them warm later that night. Then they pulled the lounge chairs around, not side by side, but so they could look at opposite sides of the sky and still talk to each other.

 

“What’ll we do if it gets cold?” Richard mused outloud.

 

“Oh, we’ll bring the blankets from inside.” Grace chuckled softly at him. “Come on. I think it’s about time to finish dinner.”

 

Back inside, Grace took the apple crisp out of the oven and slid the fish in. It only took a few seconds to toss the salad together. Then she poured the risotto into a serving bowl, garnishing it with a few chopped morels she’d kept out for that purpose.

 

Richard, meantime, had busied himself with opening the wine and pouring them each a glass. Handing her a glass, he tapped his to her’s, saying “Cheers!”

 

“Cheers to you, too!” she grinned up at him.

 

“And thank you.” he added.

 

“Thank you? For what?” she asked, curious.

 

“For this afternoon. For asking me to come up here this weekend.” he replied softly. “It’s been wonderful. It’s not often I get the chance to just unwind and have peace & quiet. You’ve given me that.”

 

Embarrassed, she ducked her head to keep him from seeing her blush, saying “You’re welcome” almost as softly.

 

Taking a sip of wine, Grace reached over with her free hand to turn off the kitchen timer just before it went off.

 

“Fish is done, I think.” she said, setting down her glass & picking up the hotpads. Opening the oven door, she reached inside and removed the baking sheet, setting it on the counter. Taking her knife, she slit the first parchment bundle open, steam flavored with fish and lemon hitting her in the face as she did.

 

“Smells divine!” She exclaimed, turning her attention to the other one. “If you’ll get the plates from the table, I’ll serve the fish from here. Won’t be as messy and there’ll be one less dish to wash later.”

 

After serving the fish, they sat down at the table and enjoyed their dinner.

 

Swallowing his last bite of risotto, Richard at last leaned back in his chair. “Don’t know about you, but I’m stuffed!”

 

“What?” she teased. “You didn’t leave room for dessert?”

 

“Sadly, no. It was all so good.” He patted his stomach. “Perhaps we can have dessert later?”

 

“Hmmm...apple crisp and coffee _would_ be good after we freeze our butts watching the meteor shower.” She grinned at him. “Let me put the leftovers in the fridge and we can go out and look at the sky.”

 

As she put what little was left, Richard brought the rest of the dirty dishes to the kitchen. “Suppose we’ll have to wash these by hand.”

 

“Well, actually, if you’ll look under the sink, there should be soap for the dishwasher.” she pointed at the cabinet doors.

 

“Dishwasher? What dishwasher?” Richard was certain he hadn’t seen one.

 

Grace pointed to the deep drawer to the right of the sink. “That dishwasher. It’s one of the drawer-type washers, just right for a cabin like this.”

 

As he loaded the dirty dishes, she brought their glasses and the remains of the wine into the kitchen. “Shall we polish off the rest before we go out?”

 

“Sure. And you can tell me about the meteor shower while we wait for it to get darker.” He said, taking his now replinished glass and retreating to the sofa.

 

Taking a seat beside him, Grace told him about the annual meteor shower, where to look in the night sky, and how many the scientists were predicting they might see.

 

“And you watch for them every year?” He remarked.

 

“Umhm.” she replied, not caring if she seemed like a major geek. “But this isn’t the only meteor shower. There are a couple other major ones. And yes, I look for them, too. I started when I was little. My mom used to wake me up in the middle of the night, to go sit in our front yard with her and watch for shooting stars.”

 

“Ah, I see. So it’s your mother’s fault.” He laughed.

 

“Of course. Isn’t everything?” She giggled back at him. “In any case, I think it’s dark enough for us to go out now. If you’ll fetch that long lighter from the kitchen counter, I’ll go get the blankets and meet you outside.”

 

By the time Grace came out, Richard had the fire going in the firepit. She tossed him his jacket (“you might need this”) and spread each blanket over a lounge chair.

 

“Since this is your first time, you take this one, Richard.” Grace pointed to one of the chairs. “You’ll have the best view for them.”

 

“But what about you? Will you be able to see any?” he protested.

 

“Of course I will. A lot of these have long trails, sometimes halfway across the sky. Besides, I’m used to craning my head around.” she assured him.

 

They got comfortable in their respective blankets, settled back against the chairs, and began to watch the sky. Smalltalk came easy, interrupted with “Hey, look at that one!” and “there’s another one” frequently.

 

They had been out there about an hour and a half when Richard began to shift uncomfortably. The fire had died down, leaving only a few glowing embers, and the temperature had also dropped.

 

“You okay?” Grace asked, glancing over at him.

 

“I’m getting kinda cold.” he admitted sheepishly.

 

“Well, go inside where it’s warm. You don’t have to stay out here with me. ” Grace told him.

 

“I know. But I want to stay out here with you. I’m just...cold. That’s all.” He shifted some more.

 

Grace sat watching him for a minute or two. “Hmm....I have an idea, on how to keep you warm.”

 

“Oh?”

 

“Yeah.” Grace got up from her chair, dropping her blanket in the process. “Stand up and wrap up in your blanket for a minute.”

 

He wasn’t sure what she was planning to do, but said “okay” and did as she bade.

 

Grace grabbed the end of her lounge chair and swung it around. A few more adjustments, and she had lined the chairs up side by side, pushing them together. Then she spread her blanket across both chairs.

 

“Voila!” she gestured to the chairs. “Part of what’s making you cold is the slats - they let air in underneath. If it’s okay with you, we can lie on top of mine and cover up with yours, keeping us both warm.”

 

He nodded in agreement, smiling in the dark.

 

“Now, hand me your blanket and stretch back out.” She held out her hands expectantly.

 

Once he was once again stretched out, she sat down beside him and unfurled the blanket over them both.

 

As she reached across his chest to straighten out part of the blanket, all he could think was “Just do it, dammit! Kiss her already. What’s the worst she can do? Slap the hell out of you and go inside?”

 

Grace, meanwhile, had stopped to look up when a particularly bright meteor streaked overhead. “Oh! That was a really nice one. Did you see it, Richard?”

 

When he didn’t reply, she looked down to see him looking at her with a most peculiar expression on his face.

 

She was in the midst of asking “Richard, what’s wrong?” when she suddenly felt two large, warm hands grasp her face and pull her down to him, two lips kissing hers.

 

She stilled then and Richard was afraid he’d made a mistake. Then suddenly her hands were on his cheeks, her lips returning his kiss.

 

When they broke apart some minutes later, he looked at her and she at him, gently laughing.

 

“Do you know how long I’ve wanted to kiss you?” he asked her, his fingers still tangled in her hair.

 

She chuckled, her right index finger tracing circles on his cheek. “Do you know how long I’ve wanted you to kiss me?”

 

“Since the first day I saw you, when you brought hot tea to me and Tom.” He kissed her gently again.

 

“Honestly?” she looked down, bashful now. “I only applied for the assistant’s job because I was hoping to meet you.”

 

“Yeah?” he asked softly, tugging her chin up so she’d look at him.

 

“Yeah.” She looked a little worried at her confession.

 

“I’m glad you did. And I’m very glad you invited me up here this weekend.” He told her, smiling.

 

“I’m glad I did, too.” She finally grinned at him, relieved.

 

As she snuggled against him, he pulled the blanket up around her shoulders.

 

Truth be told, they didn’t really see many shooting stars after that, too busy kissing each other to watch the skies.

 


End file.
